Tokyo Tech launches new edX MOOC on Autophagy

The Online Education Development Office (OEDO) is happy to announce that Tokyo Tech's newest edX1MOOC2, "Autophagy: Research Behind the 2016 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine," taught by Honorary Professor Yoshinori Ohsumi, Associate Professor Hitoshi Nakatogawa, and Specially Appointed Assistant Professor Alexander May, launches worldwide on November 29, 2017. The course has been developed by a dedicated, talented team of 15 student teaching assistants (TAs) whose backgrounds reflect our diverse learners from around the world.

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This three-week course targets the general public and covers the following topics:

Week 1 : Basic Mechanisms and Roles of Autophagy

Week 2 : Dr. Ohsumi's Nobel Prize Winning Research

Week 3 : The Role of Autophagy in Our Bodies, Links to Human Diseases, and the Future of Autophagy Research

By completing this course, learners will be able to:

define the fundamentals of autophagy

explain the significant roles that autophagy plays in humans, plants, and animals

draw upon the inspiring story of Yoshinori Ohsumi and learn the importance of basic research driven by pure curiosity that leads to breakthroughs in science

OEDO has released four edX MOOCs to date and all of them have been recorded at the Ookayama Campus studios. In this case, OEDO set up a new temporary studio at the B1 Bldg. on the Suzukakedai Campus for the convenience of the autophagy instructors. By establishing a recording studio in Suzukakedai, OEDO hopes that more MOOCs will be developed within the Suzukakedai campus in the future.

A non-profit educational organization comprised of the world's top universities, led by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard University. edX provides an environment where anyone in the world with internet access can study university-level courses grounded in the latest teaching and learning-based research.

Massive Open Online Course. An online course that is open to anyone with internet access and free of charge. Like a regular course, it has a scheduled time frame and learners can enjoy two-way communication with instructors and other learners in an interactive learning environment.